Zenon Grocholewski

Zenon Grocholewski (born October 11, 1939) is a Polish Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, who was elevated to the cardinalate in 2001. He currently serves as Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Biography

He was born in Bródki^[1] to Stanisław and Józefa (née Stawińska) Grocholewski. After studying at the archdiocesan seminary of Poznań, Grocholewski, was ordained to the priesthood on 27 May 1963^[2] by Archbishop Antoni Baraniak, who had also previously ordained him a subdeacon and deacon.^[3]

After his 21 December 1982 appointment as titular bishop of Acropolis,^[3] he received his episcopal consecration on the following 6 January from John Paul II himself, with Archbishops Eduardo Martínez Somalo and Duraisamy Lourdusamy serving as co-consecrators. Grocholewski was promoted to the rank of Archbishop on 16 December 1991. On 15 November 1999 he was appointed the prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education^[4] and the Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Gregorian University.^[2]

Grocholewski was created Cardinal-Deacon of San Nicola in Carcere by John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001.^[3] Upon the death of Pope John Paul all major Vatican officials automatically lose their positions during a sede vacante, and the cardinal so lost his position on 2 April 2005 due to the death of the Pope. He was later confirmed to office by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 April. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XVI.^[5] On 21 February 2010, he opted for the order of Cardinal Priest, with his former diaconal church elevated to the level of cardinalitial title.^[6]

Along with his native Polish, he speaks Latin, Italian and English.

He is a Curial member of the Doctrine of the Faith, Bishops (congregations), the Legislative Texts (council) and the Special Council for Oceania of the Secretariat General (Synod of Bishops)^[7] Cardinal Grocholewski was also the official extraordinary envoy of the Pope to the 400th year foundation of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Manila, the oldest university in the Asia.

In March 2011 at a press conference to present the newly-published Decree on the Reform of Ecclesiastical Studies of Philosophy. Cardinal Grocholewski explained how the normative documents concerning ecclesiastical studies - and hence also philosophy - currently comprehend John Paul II's 1979 Apostolic Constitution "Sapientia christiana" and its norms of application issued in the same year by the Congregation for Catholic Education. "Nonetheless", he said, "'Ecclesia semper est reformanda' in order to respond to the new demands of ecclesial life in changing historical-cultural circumstances and this also (perhaps especially) involves the academic world". The reasons for the reform are, the cardinal explained, "on the one hand, the shortcomings in philosophical formation at many ecclesiastical institutions, where precise points of reference are lacking especially as regards the subjects to be taught and the quality of teachers. ... On the other hand there is the conviction - expressed in John Paul II's 1998 Encyclical Fides et ratio of the importance of the metaphysical component of philosophy, ... and the awareness that philosophy is indispensable for theological formation". For this reason today's decree of the congregation aims to re-evaluate philosophy, above all in the light of that Encyclical, ... restoring the 'original vocation' of philosophy; i.e., the search for truth and its sapiental and metaphysical dimension".^[8]

References

• Matthew Bunson, "Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac", Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2008, pg. 283, [1]